Iowa Family Group Sheet for John WEST

Prepared by Marilou West Ficklin (terrulian@nccn.net)
4 August 2005

HUSBAND: John WEST			 	
Born: abt 1797 in New York state [6,9]				
Died: 4 August 1861 in Newport, Johnson County, IA [1]
Buried: Sandtown, IA Cemetery, in Hills, IA [2]
Father: unknown  
Mother: unknown

WIFE 1: Clarissa [unknown] [6]				
Born: abt. 1801, Vermont [6]			
Died: 1850-1852 [3,6]
Buried:unknown
Father: unknown
Mother: unknown
Marriage Date: unknown; Marriage Place: unknown

Children: 

Child 1. Orson WEST 
Born: 1827 in: New York state [6,19]
Died: 8 April 1901, San Francisco, CA [16-18]
Buried: unknown
Spouse: Catherine Griffith [19-21]

Marriage date: abt. 1850;  Marriage Place:  unknown

Child: Others unknown [4,5] 


Notes:
John West was a pioneer of Solon, Iowa. Census and other records of Johnson County between 1840 and 1850 suggest that another family was living with John and Clarissa. Possibly John or Clarissa's father was in the household. In that case, that parent may be among those listed as pioneers of Solon. Many such pioneers were known to have come from New York and Ohio. Histories mention that John and his wife were charter members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Solon. Clarissa apparently died between 1850 and 1853 although neither her death nor burial record survived. John married Hannah Hill in 1853. It is not clear whether "Mr. and Mrs. West," charter members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, refers to John and Clarissa or John and Hannah. The church was probably established in the 1840s when Clarissa was still alive, but the structure was not built until 1855 at which time John was married to Hannah. 

John is mentioned in histories of Johnson County as the partner of Hamilton H. Kerr. Together they hired Cyrus Sanders in October 1840 to lay out eighty acres of Big Grove Township for the town of Solon. Big Grove township was part of the Blackhawk purchase of 1832--land ceded to Johnson County from the Sac and Fox Indians. Johnson County formed in 1837. The first settlers came in 1838. John was appointed a director to cut a road from Solon to Iowa City in 1842.2 John later acquired property in Newport Township north of Big Grove  where he died in 1861. John is mentioned in many Solon documents. [10-15] 

Sources:

1. John West Estate, Probate Records, Johnson Co., IA, Vol. 3, 1858-1863, Bk 3:351: Estate of John West deceased, Johnson County Court August 1866, est. opened 10 Aug 1861. John West died intestate on or about 4 Aug 1861. 

2. The burial of John West is based on an undocumented secondary source at Rootsweb World Connect, "The Eugene and Judith Whorton Henderson Family Tree"
Hannah Stout ID145909 and John West ID 129666: states that Hannah and John West are buried at Sandtown Cemetery, Hills, IA. Burial records to confirm this have not yet been found.

3.  The date of death of Clarissa West is based partly on her appearance on the 1850 census and partly on the fact that John remarried in 1853 according to Marriages of Johnson Co. IA 1839-1910, Solon: 17 June 1853 John West to Hannah Hill, Bk 3, p. 1421. 

4. 1840 U.S. Census, Big Grove Twp., Johnson Co. IA, NARA microfilm M704, Roll 101, household of John West: 1 male under 5; 1 male 5-10; 2 males 10-15 (including Orson); 3 males 20-30; 1 male 40-50 (John) and 1 male 60-70 (possibly his father or Clarissa's); 1 female 30-40 (Clarissa) and one female 20-30, 1 female 10-15. This appears to contain two families.

5. 1844 State Census, Iowa Johnson Co., Big Grove Township, transcription, p. 10, line 5, LDS film #1728630, household of John West contains 7 souls.

6. 1850 U.S. Census, Big Grove Twp., Johnson Co. IA, NARA microfilm M432, Roll 208, p. 180, line 12,  household 3: John West, 53, b. NY; Clarissa 49, b. VT; Orsen, 22, b. NY; John Ollerman 14, b. OH.

7. 1852 State Census for Johnson Co. IA: John West still listed,Vol. 2 of Iowa Census 1851-1859.

8. 1854 State Census, Iowa Johnson Co., Big Grove Township, transcription, p. 3, line 12, LDS film #1022206, household of John West contains 2 males and 3 females.

9. 1860 U.S. Census, Newport, Twp., Johnson Co. IA, NARA microfilm M 653, 2d filming, Roll 327, p. 541, household 365:
John West 60, b. NY ; Hannah, 54, b. NC; Barbara 20, b. NC; Samuel Barble, 18; Louie Hill, 13; John Lucas, 20;Emily Meacher 30.

10. Johnson County, Iowa, Orson West, owner of record of sw 1/4 of sw 1/4  Sec 12, Twp  81N, R6W. 

11. Quitclaim to John West from A.W. Blain, 8 June 1853 for 28 acres east side se 1/4 of sw 1/4 Sec 12, Twp 81N R6W, Book 10, p. 146.

12. Deed from John and Hannah West to Norman Calkin, 7 July 1854 for 28 ac east side se 1/4 of sw 1/4 Section 12 Twp 81N R6W, Book 11, p. 237.

13. Deed to John West from Sally Kinman 29 Dec 1859 for s 1/2 ne 1/4 sw 1/4 Sec 25, Twp 80 N, R6W (Newport)

14. John West, supervisor of Road Dist. In 1841; John West and H.H. Kerr layed out the town of "Solon" Oct 25-27 1840. Also John West and wife, original members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Solon. Irvin Weber "Solon History" in History of Johnson County Iowa, series of articles in Iowa City Press Citizen, 24 September 1975, p. 2. See also Solon Reaper, 28 July 1982; Charles Ray Aurnber, Leading Events in Johnson County History, (Cedar Rapids: Western Historical Press, 1912), p. 164.

15. Iowa District Court Records 1839-1841, Iowa State Historical Society Box 2
p. 93 May term 1841 Grand Jury includes John West 2d Jud. Dist.
p. 99 May Term 1841; I.C. Lasher vs. Jehiel Parks and John West to dismiss--plaintiff to recover costs. N.d.
p. 101 A.H. Frisbee vs John West 1 June 1841 $94.76 prom. Note + damages
p. 132 cont. Thomas Ford vs. John West. Mentions Jehiel and Harrison Parks.

 16.    Orson C. West Estate file #P1014, Napa County, CA. Hall of Records, Napa County, Napa, CA. Orson died intestate. 

17.  Orson C. West , "Fatally Mangled by an Elevator," San Francisco Call, 9 Apr 1901, see also Napa Daily Journal, 10 April 1901, 3:1 
 
18. Family Bible of Ella Calhoun West, in possession of Marilou West Ficklin, Colfax, CA. Gives Orson's birthplace as New York.

19. U.S. Census 1870, Illinois, NARA microfilm M 593, Adams Co., Roll 186, Quincy, Ward 2 , p. 36, dwelling 253, household 270:
Orson C. West, head, 43, b. NY; Catherine, wife, 43, b. OH; James, son, 18, b. MO; Alfred, son, 13, b. IL; Pleasant, son, 11, b. MO; Charlie, son, 8, b. IL; Cora, dau, 5, b. IL; Opal, dau, 3, b. IL

20. U. S. Census 1860, 2nd filming, Missouri, NARA microfilm M653,Roll 625, Jackson Co., Kansas City, Div. 35, Vol. 11, p. 89, line 17, dwelling 737, household 785, 
O.C. West, 38, b. NY; Catherine, 33, b. OH; James, 8, b. MO; Albert, 3, b. IL; Alfred, 3, b. IL; Pleasant M., 7 mo., b. MO

21.    James Griffith West, Napa County, CA, Death Certificate, #281, gives mother's maiden name as "Griffith."